What’s your favorite?

Send us meals fit for a visit from the president of the United States

How many ways do you have to cook a roast beef dinner? How many recipes do you have – in the cookbook or in your head – for meatloaf?

There are dozens of ways to cook most meats, and we all have our favorites. They may change from time to time: We see a new recipe, or someone tells us how they cooked something, and that may become a favorite for a while. Then the new wears off and we get tired of the dish, maybe move it to the “keeper” file.

Roast beef and roast pork have been on my keeper list since I was first learning to cook. They were something I could count on, tried and true. In the years when I was learning to cook, roast beef was always what I made for company: Nothing could ever go wrong with the recipe I used.

I put the meat in a heavy Dutch oven, scrubbed or peeled potatoes and carrots, cut them in half, and tossed them into the pot along with an onion and about a cup of water, and put them in the oven at 325 degrees. Four hours later (no peeking) and it was hard to imagine a better dinner. Even the gravy it made was delicious.

Then, the slow cooker hit the shelves. It did everything the oven did, without heating up the kitchen.

A few years ago, although I still leaned toward the roast beef and pork dinners, I found new ways to cook them. They’re still my favorite company meals.

This beef and soda recipe is an easy dinner.

Roast beef

and soda

1 (3 to 4 pound) roast beef (or pork roast)

1 jar beef gravy

1 package dried onion soup mix

1 cup of ginger ale or other soda

Place meat in a roasting pan with a lid. Mix the gravy, dried onion soup mix, and soda. Pour over meat. Cover and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 4 hours. You will have delicious beef and a flavorful delicious brown gravy.

Slow cooker

pulled pork

I discovered another great recipe last year. It is also in my keeper file now. I was buying a piece of fresh pork when the butcher asked me what I was making and I said probably pulled pork or Italian pork. He followed me around the store and tossed a bottle of barbecue sauce, Sweet Baby Ray’s, of course, in my basket, along with a good-size jar of salsa. He said that was all I needed to make a big pot of pork or beef, no salt and pepper or other spices needed.

Another keeper for my files! It comes out perfect every time, in the oven or in the slow cooker.

Perfect every time ribs

I have a new best recipe for ribs – actually, a simple recipe for any kind of pork. I bought about 3 pounds of country ribs, mostly because they looked good and fresh, and the price was right. And I had just seen a recipe in a magazine in the doctor’s office, and it looked good. I jotted it down and made it last week and it was fit for a king. The ribs were spicy, just right, with plenty of sauce.

I cook them in the slow cooker on low for about 8 hours, until they’re tender enough to shred with two forks, and I serve them with French buns – or no buns.

Pork ribs, meaty, about 3 pounds

1 cup ketchup

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup honey

1 sliced onion

Place ribs and onions in slow cooker. Mix ketchup, brown sugar and honey, pour over ribs. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.

Who is coming to dinner?

I am sure you also have your “tried and true” meals that you can depend on. Ask yourself, “What meal would I prepare if the president of the United States was coming to my house for dinner?”

That would be fun to know. I think I would serve my jambalaya, with jumbo shrimp, with what we call corn stuff on the side, and a pretty fruit trifle for dessert. I might even include a favorite, pretzel fooler, with cool strawberry Jell-O, and iced tea.

I would love to hear what you might be planning if you were expecting the president. How about emailing us the menu? And include any recipes we don’t have.

Or, if you have any longtime favorite recipes you rely on, please share them. We would love it!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottoms and 1/2 inch up the sides of two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans; set aside. In a medium-size bowl, combine cream cheese and the 1/4 cup sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add sour cream and 1 egg; beat until combined. Stir in the crystallized ginger; set aside.

In small bowl, mix melted butter, dill weed and garlic powder. Separate each can of dough into 5 biscuits; cut each biscuit into fourths. Coat half of the biscuit pieces in butter mixture; arrange in pan.

Sprinkle 2 cups of the cheese over dough. Coat remaining dough pieces in butter mixture; place over cheese. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cook and drain noodles as directed on package. Meanwhile, remove brisket from cooker and place fat side up on cutting board. If necessary, scrape off any fat from brisket and discard. Using two forks, coarsely shred brisket.

Stir tapioca into liquid in cooker. Return shredded brisket to cooker. Increase to high; cover and cook about 15 minutes or until thickened. Serve stew in soup bowls over hot noodles.